Stuck Like Glue
by Kate McK
Summary: While Teddy is still looking for Mr. Right online Henry turns to the staff of SGMW for help with his love life. And boy, are they helpful. Now the hospital corridors are abuzz as everyone wonders how Teddy will react when Henry starts dating.


**Stuck Like Glue**

**A/N to Chuck fans:** Don't panic, I haven't abandoned anything.

**A/N to Grey's Anatomy fans:** I'm late to the party, I know, but I'm dependent on DVD releases to catch up on the show. Though I like almost all the characters, it took me six seasons to really invest in one, and seven to actually ship a couple, and you all know how that turned out. To be honest, I couldn't bring myself to watch beyond 8x10 – that episode was just too sad. This is how I deal with it, and if there are still some Tenry fans out there, enjoy.

Before we jump into the story I'd just like to say a big thank you to my partner in crime, **Nervert. **Thanks for the beta even though you don't follow the show and despite the lack of zombies.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Grey's Anatomy. The title was inspired by the song, but this is not a song fic. It just sets the mood for the story.

* * *

_There you go making my heart beat again  
Heart beat again, heart beat again  
There you go making me feel like a kid  
Won't you do it, do it one time?__  
__There you go pulling me right back in  
Right back in, right back in  
And I know I'm never letting this go  
I'm stuck on you_

_~ Stuck Like Glue – Sugarland_

* * *

Teddy Altman would've given up on her pathetic forays into Internet dating a long time ago, but lately two really good things had come from it – stopping by Henry's afterwards and sharing ridiculously delicious doggy bags over his kitchen counter while analyzing why her date had been so laughably bad.

Tonight's attempt hadn't gone any differently. Dwayne, whom she'd picked knowing that Henry would get a kick out of teasing her about the name, still lived with his mother. That fact was not disclosed in his profile, but given her track record, Teddy had started to accept it as a given. Dwayne was a videogame designer, his bio had said, but apparently he was still trying to figure out how to write code, whatever that meant. All she knew after an hour of tedious conversation was that he was a forty-four-year-old who played videogames all day in his mother's basement. Judging by his profile picture though, she had to give him some credit for his photo shop skills.

Teddy shuddered. She should really come up with a better way to meet men, she thought, but at least her evening was about to improve. She carefully balanced her clutch and the container of seafood paella on one arm and rapped on Henry's door.

The knock went unanswered, causing her to frown. Normally she would call first, but Dwayne had walked her to her car after she'd faked a hospital emergency, and it would've looked suspicious had she not sped off immediately. Henry was usually home anyway, and she'd seen his lights on from the street.

She knocked again, more urgently this time, as scenarios started running through her mind. What if he was unable to come to the door? What if he was lying on the floor, shaking with hypoglycemic shock? What if he was hunched over the sink coughing up blood caused by a newly developed tumor on his lung? The 'what if's' culminated into a tight ball of dread settling in the pit of her stomach.

"Henry, it's Teddy," she called through the closed door, "open up. Or if you can't, knock something over so I'll know to break down the door." Then she realized that the idea was as stupid as it had sounded. She cracked chests for a living, not particle board and plywood. "I mean I'll call the super to unlock it. Just give me some sort of sign or –"

The door swung open, revealing an out of breath, but fairly healthy looking Henry Burton.

"Sorry," he said, "I was…uh…busy with…something."

Teddy blushed at her overreaction. Of course there were a number of reasons why he couldn't answer the door immediately other than he-was-about-to-drop-dead.

"Are you okay?" she asked anyway, studying his face as if that alone was enough to make a diagnosis. "You look a little flushed."

"So do you," he replied with a sheepish grin.

"I took the stairs," she lied. "It's great cardio exercise."

"You should know."

The conversation came to an abrupt end, something Teddy found a bit odd. Henry blocking the doorway and not inviting her in was strange as well, so she held up the takeout container.

"You should try this. It's positively sinful."

Henry looked down at the tinfoil dish, then back at her.

"You know," he said, "for a fake wife, you do take excellent care of me." The comment was made in jest, Henry's go-to response for basically everything. It was one of the things she liked about him, a lot, but tonight even that seemed off.

Teddy cocked her head to the side. "Henry, what gives?"

"I…" He shifted from one foot to the other. "I have company."

"Oh." Teddy was taken aback. They'd gone for a run and talked on the phone earlier in the day, and he hadn't mentioned having a date. "Oh," she said again. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize."

Henry shrugged.

Maybe it wasn't a date, she told herself. You didn't bring someone to your house on the first date. Or maybe it was not a first date, but why would Henry keep her in the dark if he was dating?

"Can I meet her?" Teddy had no idea why she'd asked and quickly covered. "I mean, you've met some of my dates, so it seems only fair."

"I've never approved of any of your dates."

Teddy's heart sank a little – he didn't deny being on a date. She plastered on a smile. "Exactly."

Henry thought it over for a moment. Then he leaned in, close enough that she could feel his breath on her face - his minty fresh breath, because apparently he was on a date. For some reason she kept fixating on that. Henry whispered something, but she missed it. The only reason she knew he'd spoken was because she was staring at his lips. She blinked, and then realized she was still staring at his lips. _Crap._ Her eyes snapped up to his.

If he'd noticed, he didn't comment.

"Be nice," he said instead.

He stepped aside before she could respond and Teddy accepted the silent invitation. The apartment was immaculate, as Henry normally kept it, and the only thing out of place was the redhead on the couch. The redhead who's hair was mussed and whose top button was unbuttoned and who wore a deer-caught-in-headlights expression.

Teddy's eyebrows almost shot into her hairline.

"Kepner?"

"Dr. Altman, hi."

Kepner was speaking in that high peel-paint-from-walls voice that irritated everyone at SGMW. Teddy had never really noticed that about her until now.

"April and I are watching a movie," Henry said. "Why don't you join us?"

Teddy almost rolled her eyes. There was indeed a frozen image on the television screen, nothing she recognized, but she wasn't an idiot. She knew exactly what she'd walked in on and had no desire being the third wheel while Henry and Kepner exchanged meaningful glances, secretly hoping she would leave so they could… She cut off the thought, suppressing the urge to shudder again.

"Actually –" She tried to come up with an excuse, but drew a complete blank, not that this slowed her mouth any. "Actually I'm on a date too."

"You are?" Henry asked.

"Yes. Yes." Why did she keep repeating herself? "Yes. He's downstairs…in the car…I…we just stopped by to deliver this –" Silently thanking the universe that she had a prop to back up her fib, she made a show of putting it on the coffee table. "I'll just leave this for the two of you, or if you've already eaten…you know what, I'm just gonna go."

"That's very thoughtful, Dr. Altman, thanks," April replied.

Teddy wanted to ask which part, but bit her tongue. She shot Kepner a polite smile, noticing that she'd at least tried to straighten out her hair at some point during the conversation, but she hadn't fixed the button. April shifted uncomfortably under her stare and Teddy took it as her cue to leave.

Henry walked her out to the hallway, pulling the door half closed behind him.

"So this guy must be something special," he said. "I think this is the longest date you've had since I've known you."

"He's okay."

"We can do better than 'okay'."

Teddy studied Henry's face, trying to figure out what exactly he meant by that, but he was hiding behind that all too familiar grin. Or maybe he was just happy. Some days it was hard to tell with him.

"Well I look forward to hearing all about it in the morning," he said when she didn't reply. "Same time?"

"Same place. If you're up for it." The last part slipped out, making her cringe inwardly.

"I'm always up for it."

His remark earned him a smack on the shoulder. He had a habit of flirting with her at the most inappropriate times.

"Hey," Henry said, rubbing the spot, "doesn't the Hippocratic Oath forbid you to harm a patient?"

"You're not _my _patient."

"Another advantage of being married to you," he shot back.

Teddy shook her head, pushing him back into the apartment. "You're impossible."

She reached for the handle and, with a small wave, pulled the door closed, then leaned back against it, blowing out a long breath. She felt like banging her head against a wall for some inexplicable reason, and must have subconsciously done so against the door, because a loud thud startled her. She'd barely straightened when the door swung open again.

"Are you okay?" Henry asked.

"Yeah…I uh…I lost my balance. I'm fine." She gestured towards the elevator, trying to ignore the amused look on his face. "I'm gonna go. Have a great night."

"Yeah," he replied, "you too."

* * *

**A/N: **That's it for now, folks. I figured since I'm new to this fandom people are more likely to give the story a try if I kept it short. See you back here soon.


End file.
